


Shore Leave

by bronzemist



Series: The Voyages of the Starship Overwatch [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, Humor, M/M, hints at pre-McHanzo, several other Overwatch members are mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-03
Updated: 2017-12-03
Packaged: 2019-02-09 20:46:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12896475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bronzemist/pseuds/bronzemist
Summary: In which Captain Jack Morrison is reminded of why he loves his husband, and First Officer Gabriel Reyes wonders when McCree will develop some common sense.





	Shore Leave

It was late into gamma shift, but most unusually for the USS _Overwatch_ , both Captain Jack Morrison and First Officer Gabriel Reyes were on the bridge. The ship was locked in stable orbit around a small planetoid, where the majority of the _Overwatch_ 's crew were currently on shore leave.

The bridge was mostly silent beyond the usual sounds of the ship running; with little more than an hour of the shift remaining, everyone was looking forward to getting to either go to bed or off onto leave.

Jack glanced around the bridge. His skeleton crew were, for the most part, making an admirable effort to at least appear busy. The notable exception was his first officer, who was sitting at his station with arms crossed, foot tapping impatiently. Jack sighed, feeling a surge of fondness. Gabriel had always been a worrier.

The peaceful quiet was interrupted by a small beep from his intercom. He glanced down. _Medical_.

"Captain here, go ahead." He said, out of the corner of his eye seeing Gabriel suddenly still, sitting up straight.

"Captain Morrison, Commander Reyes, you asked to be informed once Lieutenant McCree regained consciousness." Gabriel was up and moving towards the turbolift before Angela had even finished speaking.

"Thank you, Dr. Ziegler." Jack said, rising from his chair to follow his First Officer. "Lieutenant Oxton, you have the conn. Lieutenant Colomar, comm me if a situation arises."

"Understood!" Chirped Oxton.

"I wish." Muttered Colomar under her breath, slouched over her station with her chin in her hand. Jack let it go, hurrying to reach the lift before the doors closed.

Gabriel had his arms crossed over his chest, a deep scowl on his face. He'd been in a poor mood ever since McCree got himself concussed brawling while on shore leave. He'd been brought back a few hours ago by Zaryanova and Dr. Zhou, who had generously waved away Jack and Gabriel's apologies for having to cut their own leave short.

"Dumbass kid, keeps getting himself into dumbass fights." Gabriel was muttering to himself as the turbolift hummed.

Jack remained silent. He didn't pretend to understand the complicated relationship between Gabriel and McCree. He knew Gabriel had recruited McCree into Starfleet despite the young man's criminal record, and had supported him through his years in the Academy. But the whys behind that relationship were still a mystery to him.

Silent, the two men exited the lift and strode towards the sickbay. Jack kept his expression neutral, but Gabriel was still scowling as the sickbay doors slid open.

The large main bay was mostly empty; a young woman was sitting on one of the biobeds, with another woman who seemed to be her girlfriend holding her hand as Santos examined the readings on a PADD. Her expression grew alarmed when she recognized the captain and first officer, but beyond a cursory glance, Jack paid her no mind. He wasn't in the business of reprimanding his crew for medical issues, and besides, he was more concerned about Gabriel at the moment.

His first officer strode through the sickbay as though it were a battlefield, not even sparing a glance for Santos and his patient. He beelined directly towards the CMO's office, Jack trailing behind him.

"Enter!" Called Angela as the door chimed, sliding open just as Jack caught up. The _Overwatch_ 's Chief Medical Officer was seated behind her desk, steaming mug of coffee in front of her and every horizontal surface piled with PADDs.

"You should really consider letting me assign you a second yeoman, Angela." Jack said as the door slid shut behind him.

"That would work if she didn't insist on doing three-quarters of the work herself, Jack." Said Gabriel, scowl lessening slightly at Angela's soft smile.

"I'd just put in extra shifts in medical instead, Jack." She said easily, taking a long drink of coffee.

"How's the kid?" Asked Gabriel.

"Lieutenant McCree is fine. His concussion was minor, all things considered, and easily remedied." Angela seemed in an awfully good mood, which made Jack suspicious. Usually she grew irritated when crewmembers got injured doing stupid things, of which a bar brawl definitely was.

"You're surprisingly cheery." Gabriel was just as suspicious. "You're usually just as pissed as me when McCree gets himself into trouble. What's going on?"

"Oh, I was." Replied Angela, still with a sunny smile. "But when he woke up, I took the opportunity to ask him what was behind this most recent fight."

"And?" Prompted Jack, when she paused.

"I'll let you go talk to him yourselves." Angela said in lieu of an actual answer. "I need to confer with Santos about his case. Once you're done with him, come back here. I'm keeping McCree under observation for a while yet."

"Angie - " Gabriel began, obviously irritated at her refusal to answer. Jack interrupted him with a hand on his arm.

"Gabe, let's go talk to McCree. I'm sure he'll tell you himself why he was fighting."

For a moment, Jack thought that his first officer wasn't going to drop it. But faced with Angela's smile and his own protests, Gabriel gave in.

"Fine, let's go talk to the brat."

"He's in recovery room 12," Angela informed them as they left her office, "through the main doors and to the left."

Following her directions, captain and first officer wove deeper into sickbay, quickly arriving at recovery room 12. Gabriel didn't bother using the door chime, simply jabbing the button for the doors and striding in the instant they opened. Jack followed with a sigh; and Gabe complained about McCree's disregard for personal space.

The _Overwatch_ 's recovery rooms were tiny rooms not dissimilar to the quarters of the lowest-level officers, containing little more than a bed, a rolling cart, and an equally miniscule ensuite washroom. Lieutenant McCree was sitting up in bed, a barely-visible line on his forehead showing where he'd been knocked out.

"Gabe - er, Commander, Captain." McCree caught himself as he noticed Jack standing behind Gabriel. "What brings you here?"

Gabriel's scowl was back in full force. "Three stays in sickbay this month alone. First time, getting into a fistfight with a Klingon - "

"Hey, that guy started it - "

"Second time, encouraging Fawkes to test out his latest abomination - "

"How was I to know it would blow up?"

Even Jack had to raise an eyebrow at that one.

"The man only makes bombs!" Shouted Gabriel.

McCree didn't have a retort for that, so simply crossed his arms and slumped down a little in the bed.

Gabriel took a deep breath before continuing. "So tell me, McCree, what's behind this latest incident? Who's fault is it this time?"

"He had it coming." Said McCree mulishly.

"Lieutenant, it doesn't matter if the other guy "had it coming"." Sighed Jack, stepping in. "You're Starfleet, you have to set an example."

"And I was - talk shit, get hit."

Jack and Gabriel sighed simultaneously.

"Lieutenant - " Jack began, but before he could reprimand McCree further, the door to the recovery room slid open once again.

"Gabriel, Jack, surely you aren't in here berating poor Jesse?" Ana Amari said breezily, single eye twinkling as she waltzed past them and leaned over to check McCree's readings.

"Ana, what..." Jack protested, even as McCree looked visibly relieved at her presence.

"Amari," growled Gabriel, who had also caught the expression and didn't appear ready to let McCree off the hook.

"Oh, stop your scowling." She tsked at them, not taking her eye of the bed's readouts. "The number of times I had to drag you two out of a bar fight on leave..."

Jack felt his face flush, and saw Gabriel's cheeks redden as well. McCree began to look distinctly smug, which Jack knew they had to nip in the bud. Lord knew McCree didn't need to become even more brash in his disregard for the chain of command.

"And before you get too happy, Jesse, it's time for your hypo." Ana went on, withdrawing the hypospray in question from her pocket.

"Wait, Ms. Amari, no - " McCree immediately protested.

"Naptime!" Sang Ana, stabbing the hypo into his neck in one smooth motion. McCree had one instant to look utterly betrayed, and then he was slumping sideways on the bed. Ana hummed contentedly as she adjusted him so he was in a more comfortable position.

"You take far too much pleasure in that." Commented Gabriel.

"There are perks to the job." She replied, finally turning to face them properly. "Now be honest with me. Why did the two of you come all the way down here to berate Jesse?"

"Hey, I'm just backing up my husband," Jack said immediately, not wanting any part of this.

"It's been almost two years since the kid graduated from the academy." Gabriel said. Now that McCree was unconscious, his expression had softened. He gazed down at him as he spoke. "He's got a lot of potential, we all know it. But if he keeps pulling these stunts..."

"He'll never make it higher than lieutenant." Finished Jack.

Ana sighed. "You're right, of course." She brushed McCree's shaggy (non-regulation) bangs out of his eyes. "But I think things might start turning around soon."

The knowing tone in her voice immediately attracted both Jack and Gabriel's attention.

"What do you know?" Gabriel demanded.

Ana simply laughed, walking past them to the door. "Go talk to Angela, boys. She's been dying to tell you, after all."

As the door shut behind her, Jack and Gabriel looked at each other.

"Ever get the feeling we're not actually the ones in command of this ship?" Asked Jack.

"All the damn time." Gabriel sighed.

When they returned to Angela's office, they found her with a brand new mug of coffee. Santos was nowhere in sight, but Angela had a PADD in her hand that she was perusing as she steadily drained her mug.

"How did your talk with Lieutenant McCree go?" She asked, briefly glancing up as they entered.

"Well, Ana interrupted us before we could really lay into him," Gabriel grunted, "and now he's unconscious again."

Angela took a long sip of her coffee. "And did he tell you why he was fighting this time?" She asked.

"Nothing more than the usual "the other guy deserved it" bullshit." Gabriel replied. "Now are you ready to tell us the real reason?"

Most people would not suspect the calm, angelic Dr. Ziegler of having a penchant for the dramatic. Yet Jack had quickly learned better. She made them wait in suspense while she finished her coffee before finally setting down her PADD and focusing on them, small smile on her face the entire time.

"You're a cruel woman, Doc." Said Gabriel, with Jack nodding in silent agreement. Angela's smile grew wider.

"Just put us out of our misery." Said Jack.

"Keep in mind that the lieutenant was under the influence of painkillers when he told me this, so some of the details may be... exaggerated." Angela began. "You should track down Miss Hana Song, if you're interested in confirming the details. She was present when this occurred."

Jack made a note of the name. He was familiar with Hana Song; a nineteen-year-old Korean prodigy who had graduated in the same class as McCree. The pair were friends despite their differing ages and backgrounds.

"According to Lieutenant McCree, he and Miss Song were in a bar with several other crew members." Angela continued. "While he and Miss Song were waiting for food, Lieutenant Hanzo stopped briefly to speak to Miss Song. When he left, another patron of the bar made a disparaging comment about the lieutenant. McCree took offence."

Jack's eyebrows disappeared into his hair. Gabriel folded his arms.

"And what exactly did this "patron" say about the lieutenant?" He demanded.

"According to McCree, the exact words used were "murderous Shimada scum"," Angela said, "along with a comment I will not repeat regarding the lieutenant's body."

Ah. Jack cringed internally. That would have been more than enough to set off McCree, though he hadn't thought he was acquainted with Hanzo. Perhaps they had met through Song.

"It was at that point that McCree," Angela cleared her throat, " _"decked that sorry bastard right in his ugly mug"_ " Her attempt at mimicking McCree's heavy Southern drawl was made ridiculous by both her own Swiss accent and higher-pitched voice.

"You're no Southerner, Angie," said Gabriel with a snort at her exaggerated attempt.

"I am unclear on what happened after that, though from the sounds of it, the other man's friends took offence at McCree assaulting their companion." She laughed a little. "At that point, McCree's story rather dissolved into an impassioned defence of Lieutenant Hanzo. He's quite poetic under the influence of painkillers."

Just like Gabe, Jack thought to himself with a tiny smile.

"Well, while you two were talking with him, the shift's changed over." Angela smiled. "You are officially off duty, so I suggest you get some rest."

"I'll make you a deal, Angela," Jack replied, "if you leave sickbay in Dr. Mondatta's hands and get some rest yourself, so will we."

She looked down at the piles of PADDs on her desk, and then at the empty mug of coffee sitting in front of her.

"Angie, come on." Gabriel implored. "You know you need rest as much as we do."

"Very well," she agreed eventually, "I suppose you'll insist on seeing me out?"

They nodded as one. "How else will I keep you from bringing work with you?" Asked Jack. Angela laughed quietly as she stood. "You know me too well," she commented as they left her office together.

In the main bay, the two women from before were gone, as was Mr. Santos. Angela's second, the omnic doctor Tekhartha Mondatta, was standing at one of the terminals, apparently updating himself on what had transpired since his last shift.

"Ah, greetings, Captain, Commander, Dr. Ziegler." Mondatta greeted them. "I trust that all is well?"

"Quite well, Mondatta, thank you," replied Angela. "Have Dr. Amari and the others already left?"

"Yes, their replacements just arrived." Though omnics could not smile as humans did, Jack got the impression that Mondatta would be if he could. "I sent my brother to go check on our only patient."

Jack suppressed a chuckle. Tekhartha Zenyatta was one of the _Overwatch_ 's psychiatrists as well as a qualified field medic, and while excellent at his job, possessed a mischievous streak that was well-known amongst the ship's crew. McCree was in for an interesting awakening. Gabriel had a tiny smirk on his face, apparently having reached the same conclusion.

"I am pleased to see you leaving your office of your volition, Dr. Ziegler," Mondatta went on. "I did not want to have to forcibly remove you from medical." The "again" was unsaid but still very loudly heard.

"Mondatta!" Angela protested, blushing.

The omnic simply turned away, busying himself with the terminal. "I will see you later, Dr. Ziegler. Captain, Commander, good day."

"Good day, Dr. Mondatta." Said Jack.

As the three left sickbay, Jack turned to Angela and Gabriel. "Did you want to get food?"

Angela shook her head. "No... I think I'll just go to sleep, since you've kept me from bringing any work with me."

"You can sleep after all that coffee?" Asked Gabriel.

"You know full well I can." Angela retorted. "Besides, if I get peckish I'll just use the replicator in my quarters."

They entered the turbolift, and were silent for a moment as it began to move.

"What about you, Gabe?" Jack asked.

"I'm fine." He replied. "I wouldn't mind sleeping either." Then he hesitated. "Unless you're hungry...?"

"No," Jack immediately shook his head. "You know me, I'm never hungry after gamma. We'll just have to have a big breakfast."

The lift stopped, doors sliding open. The CMO's quarters weren't far from the turbolift, and soon the three were coming to a stop outside of Angela's door.

"Well, I suppose I won't be seeing you two until beta shift." Said Angela, as she punched in her code.

"Probably not," agreed Gabriel. "Is that when you're releasing McCree?"

Angela hummed her assent. "Most likely, unless something happens before then. Unlikely." She gave them a sly glance over her shoulder. "I've found that if you force people to rest in the sickbay for a few shifts, they tend to not be back quite so soon."

Jack laughed. "You're a cruel woman, Ziegler."

"Good night, you two." She said with a small chuckle, as her door slid open.

"Night, Angie."

"Goodnight."

Her door slid shut, and the two men began making their way to their own quarters, just down the corridor.

"McCree is more like you than I thought." Jack commented as they walked.

"What?" Gabriel replied distractedly.

"Rhapsodizing about the object of his affections while under the influence?" He said teasingly. "Have you forgotten how we got together?"

Gabriel immediately blushed. Jack glanced around; the corridor was empty, so he leaned in and pressed his arm into Gabriel's.

"I distinctly remember something about my hair being like sunshine." Jack went on, grinning. "And my eyes being "the bluest blue" you'd ever seen."

"Shut up," snapped Gabriel, though he didn't move away.

Jack laughed. "It was cute."

They reached their door, and Gabriel reached out to punch in their code.

"I'm not cute." He grumbled.

"You're adorable." Corrected Jack, still grinning.

The Captain's quarters on a starship were not exactly luxurious, but compared to some of the enlisted crew barracks it certainly felt like it. Jack felt some weight lift off his shoulders as the door closed behind them. For all that he occasionally joked and flirted with husband in public, he was always wary of being too brazen. There were technically regulations against fraternization between ranks, and while they weren't exactly a secret, Jack felt pressured to maintain an aura of professionalism in front of the crew. It was only in his own quarters that he truly felt able to shed the mantle of Captain Morrison, and just be Jack, Gabriel's husband.

Gabriel had already toed off his boots, and was pulling his overshirt off, his back facing Jack. It ruffled his curls, and Jack suddenly felt overwhelmed with fondness for him.

Gabriel startled when Jack wrapped his arms around him, pressing his forehead into the back of his neck.

"Jack?" He questioned, confused but not protesting.

"I love you." Jack said, voice muffled by Gabriel's shirt.

"I love you too." He said, tone fond. "Can I take my shirt off now?"

"Please do." Jack purred, releasing him.

Gabriel chuckled, but then sobered. "I don't think I'm up to anything tonight, honey..."

"No problem." Jack replied, stripping off his own shirts. "I'm fine with cuddling."

It was a tight squeeze under the sonics, but neither of them minded. Jack took the chance to run his fingers through Gabriel's curls. They didn't do anything more than exchange a few chaste kisses, but that was more than enough for Jack.

It wasn't until they were curled together in bed, legs tangled, that Jack thought to bring the topic of McCree back up.

"Do you really want me to reprimand him?" He asked softly. "I could keep him on the ship for the next shore leave."

Gabriel was silent for a moment. "No," he said eventually, "the kid was defending someone else. I don't want to punish him for that."

"You've never told me what made you recruit him into Starfleet." Jack commented, keeping his tone light. He wouldn't pressure Gabriel, no matter how curious he was.

"He reminded me of me." Came the quiet reply. "Seventeen years old with nothing ahead of him but prison. He talked a big game, but I could tell he was terrified I was gonna call the cops that night."

Jack reminded silent, letting his husband speak.

"I gave him the same choice Liao gave me. Smarten up, put his talent to use. Make something out of himself." Gabriel sighed. "He's done well, but I was starting to worry about him, getting into all these fights."

"He's a good kid, just young." Jack said.

"Yeah, young and reckless."

"Like we weren't?"

Gabriel chuckled a little. "Fair enough." He groaned. "Damn it, you were right, he is just like me."

"There are worse things." Said Jack, leaning forward for a gentle kiss. "We figured it out. He will too."

"Yeah."

For several minutes, neither of them spoke. Jack was just beginning to feel himself drift off when Gabriel suddenly broke the silence.

"Jack?"

"Babe?"

"I had better fashion sense back then than McCree does, right?"

Jack laughed. "Sure you did - Reaper."

The pillow to the face was completely worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> I have quite a few other ideas for this 'verse, if people seem interested I might make it a series.  
> Much thanks to [helraisingstar](http://helraisingstar.tumblr.com/) for supporting me in writing this and giving me the confidence to actually post it!  
> If anyone has any requests or prompts or whatever, feel free to leave them in the comments! Or you can track me down on tumblr, at [bronzemist](http://bronzemist.tumblr.com/). Thanks for reading!


End file.
